include the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.  This program supports the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) which is inclusive of the HIV Continuum of Care Initiative.  The goals of NHAS are to reduce HIV incidence, increase access to care and optimize health outcomes, and reduce HIV-related health disparities.  A comprehensive system of HIV care includes the 13 core medical services specified in the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, Section 2612(b)(3) [42 U.S.C. 300ff-21(b)(3)], as amended by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-87).  Comprehensive HIV care beyond these core services may include supportive services that meet the criteria of enabling individuals and families living with HIV to access and remain in primary medical care to improve their medical outcomes.  These core and appropriate support services assist PLWH in accessing treatment for HIV infection that is consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Treatment Guidelines (see http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov).  The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) recognizes that the RWHAP Part B/ADAP recipients must use grant funds to support, develop and expand systems of care to meet the needs of PLWH.  HAB requires RWHAP Part B/ADAP Programs to conduct needs assessments and use needs assessment data to make decisions on needed services to eliminate barriers faced by PLWH in accessing and remaining in medical care.  Important Notes: ·         The Early Identification of Individuals with HIV/AIDS (EIIHA) requirements in this funding announcement have been updated and streamlined.  Please review carefully when preparing this section of your application. ·         The application includes requests for information about the jurisdiction’s HIV Care Continuum.  Applicants should include a table and narrative for the jurisdiction’s HIV Care Continuum and discuss how the HIV Care Continuum is being utilized for planning and service implementation. The following information will assist in understanding and completing this year’s grant application: ·         RWHAP Part B funds are subject to Section 2612(b)(1) of the PHS Act, which requires that not less than 75 percent of the portion of the grant remaining after reserving amounts for administration, planning/evaluation and clinical quality management be used to provide core medical services that are needed in the State/Territory for PLWH who are identified and eligible under the RWHAP.  Support services allowed under RWHAP Part B are limited to services that are needed for individuals with HIV to achieve their medical outcomes as defined by the RWHAP.  The most recent service definitions can be found in the latest version of the National Monitoring Standards. ·         Applicants seeking a waiver to the core medical services requirement must submit a waiver request either with this grant application, at any time up to the application submission, or up to four (4) months after the start of the grant award for FY 2016.  Submission should be in accordance with the Federal Register Notice, Vol. 78, No.101, dated Friday, May 24, 2013, found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-05-24/pdf/2013-12354.pdf.  The HAB Policy 13-07, Federal Register Notice and Sample Letters can all be found at http://hab.hrsa.gov/manageyourgrant/policiesletters.html.  If submitting with the application, a core medical services waiver request should be included as Attachment 10. ·         Agreements and Compliance Assurances are included (Appendix A) with this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), and require the signature of the Chief Elected Official (CEO), or the CEO’s designee; this document should be included as Attachment 9.